Mauricio Pochettino is planning a mass clear out at Chelsea this summer with 15 players set to leave Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino has been named as Chelsea’s new manager on an initial two-year contract and the Argentine will look to rebuild the side after a disastrous campaign. Chelsea ended the campaign 12th in the Premier League table – the club’s lowest league finish since 1993/94.
Chelsea’s record-breaking investment under Todd Boehly has left the west Londoners with a bloated squad, while substantial sales are required in order to met Financial Fair Play regulations.
According to the Daily Mail, as many as 15 players could leave Chelsea this summer. Pochettino has made decisions on loanees Joao Felix and Denis Zakaria with neither player set to be pursued on a permanent basis, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mateo Kovacic, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy are among the high-profile names expected to leave after struggling for favour.
Chelsea will look to raise further funds through the sale of academy products. Mason Mount is expected to leave after failing to agree terms on a new contract, despite Pochettino’s desire to keep the England midfielder. Manchester United and Liverpool are interested in Mount, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is in talks over a move to AC Milan.
Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Callum Hudson-Odoi – who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen – could also move on.
Chelsea’s clear out is also set to include Cesar Azpilicueta, who has been linked with a free transfer move to Barcelona, and Kalidou Koulibaly. The latter has disappointed since a £33m move from Juventus last summer.
